


Let Your Heart Be Your Compass

by Clippedwings



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Lord of the Rings (Movies)
Genre: Caring Thranduil, Gen, Legolas and Tauriel are childhood best friends, Parent Thranduil, Spoilers for Battle of Five Armies, Thranduil Not Being An Asshole, Thranduil is actually a good parent, Young Legolas, Young Tauriel, children are dicks, emotional things get harder for Thranduil as Legolas gets older, especially to other children, he loves his little leaf, probably not really accurate for elf children but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-17 02:34:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3511979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clippedwings/pseuds/Clippedwings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Legolas sometimes needs to be reminded that his mother did indeed love him. Thranduil sometimes needs the memory of his wife to prompt him to have a tender moment with his son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Your Heart Be Your Compass

**Author's Note:**

> While working on the musical "A Little Princess," my friend brought up the song "Let Your Heart Be Your Compass" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UMluJY1UwA) and how he could relate it to Legolas' mother. It was also mentioned that he needed to see more tender moments between Thranduil and Legolas because there really are not enough of those.
> 
> Also, you cannot tell me that Thranduil would not call Legolas "my leaf."

Thranduil was in his study, pouring over a map when the door was shoved open and the sound of crying reached his ears. He didn’t even have time to turn and look before a little elf collided with his legs and buried his face in his trailing robe. “Legolas?” He pulled away just enough to kneel down, then cupped his son’s cheek and tilted his head up to look at him.

“Ada!” Legolas’ little face was tearstained and his eyes red from crying. He reached out for his father and clung tightly to him as if he were afraid that if he let go, Thranduil would vanish.

“What’s wrong, las-nin? What has happened?”

Legolas refused to answer, only pressing closer to his father and nuzzling into Thranduil’s chest. Before the Elvenking could press the matter further, a call sounded from the hallway.

“Legolas? Don’t listen to them. Come back!”

He recognized that voice. Even if he hadn’t, the shock of red hair on the little one who wandered by was enough to give it away. “Tauriel,” he called to her. “Come here.”

Hearing her name called made Tauriel pause. She looked towards the open door of the king’s study, then cautiously walked in. Of course Legolas had gone to his father. She should have known. Her gaze flitted to the prince in his father’s arms, then settled on Thranduil’s face.

“What happened?” Thranduil asked. “Is something wrong? Did someone get hurt?” Surely it must be something bad to have upset Legolas to this extent.

Tauriel frowned and worried her lower lip as she glanced back towards the door for just a moment. “Some of the others… They were teasing.”

Thranduil scowled, though his expression softened slightly when he looked down at his son. “About?” he prompted, stroking a hand over Legolas’ hair. While he would prefer Legolas’ answer, as long as one of the children answered him, he would not push his son to speak.

Tauriel waited a moment to see if Legolas would answer, but when he just sniffled into Thranduil’s chest, she spoke up. “They haven’t lost parents…” She didn’t want to repeat everything that had been said to them. Children could be cruel and upsetting Legolas further by bringing it up again was the last thing she wanted.

“They said nana didn’t love me because she left to fight instead of staying here,” Legolas whimpered, his voice muffled by Thranduil’s shirt.

Thranduil didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t that. His jaw tightened and he pulled Legolas closer. Surely his son couldn’t think that these other children were right. His mother had loved him dearly. Part of the reason she had left to fight was the desire to make sure that their son could remain safe. “No, Legolas… That’s not true.” He sat back on his heels and pulled Legolas into his lap. As an afterthought, he looked to Tauriel and extended a hand to her to invite her closer. She had lost her parents, surely she could use a bit of comfort just then.

She hesitated for just a moment before stepping closer and allowing the king to tuck her against his chest as well. He had been good to her since she had lost her parents and she was grateful, but she didn’t want to show him how the other children’s words had affected her. She wanted him to see her as strong. Having someone to comfort her was something even she needed sometimes, though.

“I want you to close your eyes,” Thranduil murmured, resting a cheek against Legolas’ hair. “You too, Tauriel. Just close your eyes and think; what do you suppose your mothers would want to say to you if they were here now?”

“I think… I think she’d say a bit about where she is now, where there are fields and fields of flowers, and a soft wind is always blowing,” Tauriel started, doing her best to envision a place she thought her mother could be happy.

“And there’s no one to be afraid of?” Legolas added. He sounded a little hesitant at first, but gained confidence as he continued. “And you can float around wheresoever you like.” 

“What do you think?” Tauriel asked, half opening her eyes to look up at Thranduil.

 Thranduil allowed a small smile at Legolas' suggestion and gave a little nod of encouragement. It was good to hear his son trying to think of the good things after he had been crying so hard. Tauriel’s question gave him pause for just a moment, though. What to say? “I’m sure your mother would have some very good advice for you. _Buck up, Tauriel, that’s the way. Don’t let those bullies spoil your day, but do forgive them, please._ ”

That seemed to appease Tauriel. She nodded and smiled, closing her eyes again to picture her mother somewhere pleasant where she was happy.

“What about nana?” Legolas asked, leaning against his father’s chest with his eyes still closed.

This was easier. He knew the kind of thing his wife would say to their son. “Let your heart be your compass, let your laughter be your guide. Follow after what you’ve always loved and I’ll be by your side. Let your heart be your compass should your life lead you astray. When you’re lost your heart will know the way.”

Apparently one of the worst of the children had come looking for Legolas and Tauriel, because from just outside the door someone spoke. “ _Legolas… It’s not so bad, really, being slaughtered by orcs._ ” Whoever it was had a few little tagalongs, because there was snickering after those cruel words.

Thranduil was of half a mind to storm out and see just who was was causing this trouble so he could have them properly punished, but Legolas’ resumed sniffling had him set aside his anger for just a moment. He would make sure to deal with those children after he had comforted his son. His wife had always been so much better at dealing with things like this than he was. She could find humor in just about anything and her good mood had always been infectious. So he tried to capture that with what he said next. “Go ahead and laugh, I’d be laughing too. It’s your laugh I think of, las-nin, when I think of you. Laughter goes with tears as the heart matures, now you’re on the brink of growing up to follow yours…”

  


——————————

  


He had not wanted his son to be at that battle. He was terrified that Legolas’ life would be cut short and that he would be left alone for the rest of his time in this world. That he would have to be without family when he eventually sailed west. He feared losing his son above all else.

After the battle, Thranduil went looking for his son. With each fallen elf that he passed, the worry he felt just grew. It was weighing heavily on his heart as he scanned the bodies for a sign of Legolas. He was so relieved to see that his son still lived that he could have crossed the space between them and pulled Legolas close just for the reassurance of having his son in his arms. Of knowing that what he saw was real and not some ghost of what he had lost. But Legolas spoke, assuring him that this was indeed real without touch.

“I… cannot go back,” he said, then brushed past his father. He did not want to have to discuss his reasoning and he doubted his father would be likely to offer approval. He had seen his father’s disappointment too many times to wish to see it again.  

Thranduil turned as he was passed to keep his eyes on his son. Legolas lived, but he was losing him anyway. He could order Legolas to say and return with him, but if his son’s mind was made up, surely that would just make things worse. It might cause him to lose Legolas forever instead of just for whatever time away his son thought he needed. “Where will you go?”

“I do not know,” Legolas replied. He stopped walking and turned back to face his father. So much had changed. He could not bring himself to return to their kingdom. Not yet. Perhaps not ever. Would his father try to stop him?

“Go north. Find the Dunedain. There’s a young ranger amongst them. You should meet him. His father, Arathorn, was a good man. His son might grow to be a great one.” He might not be able to instruct his son the way he was used to anymore, but he could still attempt to guide him. Perhaps if he gave Legolas purpose in his time away, he would be more likely to return to him when he felt that purpose had been fulfilled.

Legolas looked away from his father, considering what he was being told. He had fully expected his father to try to stop him, not give him guidance about where to go now that he was leaving. “What is his name?”

“He’s known in the wild as Strider. His true name you must discover for yourself.” Legolas seemed satisfied with that answer, for he turned and began to walk away once more. Thranduil, however, could not watch the only family he had remaining leave without so much as a goodbye. “Legolas. Your mother loved you. More than anyone. More than life.”

Legolas stopped once more at the mention of his mother and her love. It pained his father to talk about her, he knew, but he could not express just how much it meant to him to hear those words. To know that he had his mother’s love and to know that his father loved him enough to bear the pain of talking of her just to make sure her love was known.

When Legolas slowly turned back to look at him, Thranduil offered a small smile. It was the most he could manage just then. “Do you remember?” he asked softly. “Let your heart be your compass, las-nin. She would want that for you.”

Legolas gave a little nod and dropped his gaze away for a moment. “I remember. Thank you, adar.” His eyes returned to his father to watch him raise a hand to his heart, then extend it to his son. Legolas slowly returned the gesture, then finally walked away before he could change his mind.


End file.
